R-Point

R-Point is a Korean horror film set during the Vietnam War. A group of soldiers is sent to find a missing platoon that was presumed dead. The mission begins when their base receives a strange radio message from the missing men, claiming to still be alive. Led by Lieutenant Choi Tae-in, the team travels to a remote area called R-Point, a place filled with dark history, whispers of ghosts, and a sense that something is terribly wrong.

At first, the setup sounds exciting, but the story becomes confusing fast. The film jumps between flashbacks and current events, and it’s often hard to tell which soldier is which. Their names are rarely used, and with everyone wearing the same uniforms and helmets, I couldn’t connect with any of them. This weakens the emotional impact when soldiers start dying one by one. Some of the dialogue also feels awkward, which might be poor subtitles or weak translation.

Still, the movie has some strong moments. The setting, an old mansion surrounded by thick jungle, creates a heavy, creepy mood. The legend behind the area, where those who shed blood will never return, adds an eerie touch. There are genuinely unsettling scenes, like when the team realizes one of their members may have been dead the whole time, or when they meet American soldiers who later turn out to be ghosts.

The problem is that R-Point doesn’t always make sense. The story throws in random ghostly events without clear reason. One moment, soldiers see shadows or hear voices, and the next, someone dies with no explanation. It’s hard to tell what’s real or imagined. While that mystery could be interesting, it often feels messy instead. The pacing is slow, and the middle part drags with repeated scenes of soldiers shouting or arguing.

On the positive side, the atmosphere is the film’s strongest point. The jungle feels alive and threatening, the mansion looks both grand and haunted, and the sound design builds real tension. Director Gong Su-chang creates a sense of dread that grows as the soldiers lose their grip on reality. It’s not violent. There are a few bloody scenes, but they’re more about unease than gore.

The acting is mixed. Kam Woo-sung as Lieutenant Choi is solid, showing quiet fear and growing madness. Others feel flat or overly dramatic. Because the writing doesn’t give much background on the characters, it’s hard to care when they meet their fates.

In the end, R-Point is an uneven but interesting attempt to mix war and horror. It’s not scary in a loud or gory way. It’s slow, strange, and moody. When it works, it delivers a few truly chilling moments, but too often it’s confusing and poorly paced. For me, it sits somewhere in between, not a total failure, but not the great ghost story it could have been.